Community briefs

Somers Beach State Park

The Flathead Land Trust, along with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Flathead Lakers and Montana State Parks Foundation, are hosting a celebration of the new Somers Beach State Park on Saturday, April 15 at 11 a.m.

The vent includes a small gathering at the park with light refreshments, speakers and a tour. For more information, email info@flatheadlandtrust.org.

Fundraiser for injured trooper

The Montana Highway Patrol is partnering with Montana Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants across the state to raise funds that will help support Trooper Lewis Johnson’s recovery. On Wednesday, April 12, Montana Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants across the state will donate 20% of sales from all guests who display the flier below.

Trooper Johnson suffered life-threatening injuries in February while law enforcement was apprehending a fleeing suspect near Eureka. He is recovering at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado doing daily physical and occupational therapy.

Montana Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants are located in Billings, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Great Falls, Butte, and Kalispell.

Bigfork church series April 17

The Bigfork Community United Methodist Church is holding its “Did You Know?” event on Monday, April 17.

Douglas W. Tallamy, author of the New York Times Bestseller "Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard" will be featured with a video presentation.

Tallamy shows how landscaping with native plant communities that sustain food webs and biodiversity can enhance our local ecosystems and the future of the natural world. By landscaping with native plant communities that sustain food webs and biodiversity, we can enhance local ecosystems rather than degrade them.

Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 104 research articles and publications and has taught insect related courses for 40 years.

Potluck is at 5 p.m, video presentation is at 5:30 p.m. The Bigfork United Methodist Church is located at 750 Electric Avenue.

American Legion crews work on highway markers

American Legion Post 137 will be maintaining white highway safety markers identifying the locations of fatalities on state roads around Kalispell during April and May before Memorial Day.

Crews will remove decorations, repair and repaint 130 markers in the Kalispell area along U.S. 93, U.S. 2, Montana 35, Farm-to-Market Road, Reserve Drive, Whitefish Stage and Airport Road.

The post’s agreement with the Montana Department of Transportation regulates marker specifications, placement and maintenance; and further stipulates that they are not to be decorated. Decorated markers can be a distraction to drivers, thus defeating the purpose of the white marker program.

Drivers are asked to watchout for maintenance crews during this period prior to Memorial Day weekend.

P.E.O. chapter takes scholarship applications

Chapter C of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) seeks qualified local women pursuing higher education to assist in applying for P.E.O.’s various scholarship, grant and loan programs. These programs include: Educational Loan Fund which lends money at low interest to qualified women students, Program for Continuing Education which Provides need-based grants to women whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to return to school to support themselves, and P.E.O. Scholar Awards, which Provides substantial merit-based awards for doctoral candidates.

Organized in 1915, Kalispell-based Chapter C is one of nearly 5,800 P.E.O. chapters across the U.S. and Canada. P.E.O has been helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 120,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $400 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans. The Sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College, a liberal arts and sciences college for women in the town of Nevada, Missouri.

For more information, contact Carol Bibler at (406) 257-7021. To learn more about P.E.O., visit peointernational.org.

Women’s Connection meets

Columbia Falls Women's Connection will host a luncheon on Wednesday, April 19 at 11:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church located at 827 9th St West in Columbia Falls.

Guest speakers will be Mark Hemmingway who will share his passion for home gardening and Jody Lester will share her experience being raised in foster care. Donations of kitty litter, cat food and cat toys will be collected for Kittymom's Rescue Organization. Cost is $10 and all women are welcome to attend. For reservations call Janet at 892-3621 or email cfwomensconnection@yahoo.com by 5 p.m. Sunday, April 16. Please honor or cancel reservations. Affiliated with Stonecroft Ministries.

Group holds resource workshop

ASSIST-Flathead will host a community-wide resource workshop on April 14, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Logan Health Medical Center Paintbrush Conference Room.

Have you ever wanted to help a friend or family member, but didn’t know where to find the program or service they need? Are you aware of community resources but just don’t know how to access them? (i.e.: Veteran benefits, food resources, energy assistance, Medicaid, shelter, disability and senior services.) Would you like to learn more?

ASSIST Flathead, a nonprofit affiliated with Logan Health, is hosting a community resource workshop to highlight and explore the services and programs that make up our local social safety net. The group is inviting social service providers and interested community members to join us as we learn how to help our neighbors, family and friends.

For more information or to register, contact Jane Emmert by calling 406-758-1472 or emailing jemmert@logan.org.

The event is free and a light lunch will be provided.

Energy conservation art contest

Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana is sponsoring its fifth annual art contest within Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, and Sanders Counties and inviting all students in K-12 to participate.

The contest is for students to submit art work depicting what energy conservation means to them. Students are encouraged to be creative and design a work of art showing any type of energy conservation; electric, water, heat, recycling, etc. A12-month 2024 calendar created from the 13 winning pieces will be used to promote Energy Conservation throughout the year. The cover and each month will be represented by a different student’s art work.

Entries must be postmarked or submitted to CAPNM’s main office in Kalispell, by 5 p.m., May 19, at 214 Main St., Kalispell, MT 59901.

Winners will be announced and prizes will be given out no later than June 2. Students with the 13 pieces of art work selected for the calendar and their art teacher will each receive a $50 gift card. All art work submitted must have the students name, grade, and contact information. CAPNM reserves the right to extend the deadline date of the contest, depending on the number of submissions.

CAPNM’s mission is to provide direct services, advocate to alleviate poverty, improve lives and strengthen our communities. CAPNM serves Lake, Lincoln, Flathead and Sanders counties through Community Services, Education and Training, Financial Literacy, Fuel Assistance, Housing and Weatherization programs.